Many of us hear frequently about charities and the work they do through our very frequent exposure to media: Through urgent appeals, fundraising initiatives, and routine campaigns on our TVs, phones, and computer screens. While this is very useful and indeed necessary, what we see does not always allow us to relate directly to who or what the charity aims to help.

The following case study is a semi-fictional narrative adapted from some of the recent cases Luna’s CATT practitioners in Uganda have worked on. The reason for us using a semi-fictional story lies in the sensitive nature of our work, and the vulnerability of the children and young people accessing our trauma treatment.

“Janet used to live in a town in Northern Uganda, with her Mother, Father, and two little brothers. Her hometown had been affected for years by conflict, and was particularly vulnerable to attacks by groups of rebels, such as the Lord’s Resistance army.

One day, the worst happened. Janet was at home when rebels attacked the town, and she was dragged outside of her home along with her family and neighbors. Her family did their best to fight, but could not overpower the rebels, and Janet witnessed the death of her Father and both of her brothers. The rebels then burnt down their home, and raped Janet and her mother.

Thankfully, both Janet and her mother were able to escape after that.

At the time of beginning her therapy, Janet was two months pregnant, a result of being raped, and was living in a refugee camp. One of the support workers attending to those in the camp was a Luna-trained CATT practitioner, and she was able to help Janet to come to terms with the horrific events she had witnessed and been victim to.

Before starting CATT therapy, Janet was feeling too frightened to be able to sleep or eat. She had become very quiet and had several fainting attacks. She felt unsure of everyone around her, especially men. By building up trust with the support worker, she was able to tell her story, and to begin processing her traumatic memories.

After several weeks working with a Luna-trained CATT practitioner, Janet’s level of distress became significantly reduced. She felt calmer and more like herself again, and was able to begin coming to terms with her new situation.”

Although this story has been fictionalized, it is based on the real experiences of some of the children Luna’s CATT practitioners in Uganda have treated over the last two years. Of 50 of the cases we have received from Uganda, 27% of the children and young people had witnessed the killing of family and/or neighbors, and 24% had been the victims of rape and sexual abuse.

Luna Children's Charity

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Luna Children's Charity

(Reg. Charity No. 1172010)

was formed in December 2008 and became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in April 2017.